Blog Archives

Educating local and inner city children

Our funding is helping over 3,300 children from local and inner city schools learn about the culture and heritage of the New Forest, become more aware of the importance of conservation and gain new skills.

Attending the education programme at the New Forest Heritage Centre the children take part in interactive sessions including outdoor group work, visits to the Verderers Court and opportunities to explore Museum handling collections.

Creating a Community Woodland

We provided a grant to a local charity – Pondhead Conservation Trust to help to establish a community woodland at Pondhead Inclosure (outskirts of Lyndhurst).

The area is has not been grazed by ponies or cattle for centuries and therefore has a range of flora found in few other parts of the Forest.

Establishing the community woodland has  improved the coppice management of the hazel, allowing more light into the wood. This helps the growth of ground flora such as violets and bugle which are the food plant for the rare Pearl- bordered Fritillary found at Pondhead.

The coppiced hazel is used to produce charcoal which can be purchased locally:
www.pondheadconservation.org.uk/products-courses/charcoal

Ferny Crofts Scouts Activity Centre

The Trust provided funding for pond dipping equipment and a boardwalk and so that young people could discover and learn more about the wildlife of the New Forest.

Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre is situated in the heart of the New Forest near Beaulieu.

 

Countryside Education Trust

The Trust provided funds to create a sensory garden at the Countryside Education Trust in Beaulieu. The sensory garden allows people to get hands on with nature; feeling, smelling and even tasting the different plants.

The Countryside Education Trust’s mission is to connect young people with nature, farming and rural life.

Eradicating Himalayan Balsam

Working with the New Forest Land Advice Service, our funding helped direct conservation action to eradicate Himalayan Balsam from the River Blackwater which runs for approximately 25km in the north of the New Forest.

Himalayan Balsam is a non-native plant which easily dominates river banks, leading to a loss of native species which are unable to compete.

Its shallow roots also result in localised erosion of the river banks leading to sedimentation of gravels which affect fish spawning, decreasing the number of freshwater invertebrates.